Ransom girls water polo edges defending champ Hialeah

By Bill Daley Special to the Miami Herald

Updated April 27, 2019 6:00 AM

Ransom Everglades goalkeeper Claudia Pinilla had a big day as she recorded 16 saves including this one against Hialeah’s Samantha Booth as the Raiders edged the T-Breds 9-8 in a regional final Friday evening at Ransom’s pool to head to the state final four. Bill Daley For the Miami Herald

Clinging to a one-goal lead with a minute to go and trying to get back to the state tournament for the first time in three years, the Ransom Everglades girls’ water polo team needed somebody to step up big.

Goalkeeper Claudia Pinilla became that person.

Pinilla not once but twice made huge saves in one-on-one situations as the Raiders, playing in their home pool, hung on to edge previously unbeaten and defending state champion Hialeah 9-8 in a regional final on Friday evening.

After a two-year absence having lost to Hialeah each of the past two years, Ransom (19-4), a team that won seven state titles in an eight-year span from 2009-16, is headed back to the state tournament and will take on Orlando Lake Nona in a state semifinal on May 10 at 5:30 p.m. at Boca Raton High School.

“Claudia? She just isn’t supposed to be this good,” Ransom coach Eric Lefebvre said. “She reads the game so well, talks to the defense, directs the defense and we needed every bit.

“She was unbelievable in those last few minutes.”

Pinilla was pretty tough all game long, making 16 saves but it was the last two that had everyone on the edge of their seat.

That’s when Hialeah’s Claudia Briceno took a perfect deep pass and was by herself in front of Pinilla in front of the net. Pinilla reached out to block the shot with 57 seconds left. Thirty seconds later, Yamelis Maiz was in front of the net with a point blank shot only to have it blocked by Pinilla.

“I was trying to show her a side, show her the part of the goal I wanted her to shoot at so I showed her my left side hoping she would shoot there and it worked,” Pinilla said. “She saw that and thought it was open there I jumped to where I thought she would shoot it. For the past two years

“I think I’ve really grown and tried to learn from those two losses to find a way to make us all better as a team. It’s not necessarily about me thinking I can save the game myself but realizing that it’s our team that can find a way.”

Hialeah, which came into Friday with an 18-0 record having not lost a game in 14 months, took a 2-1 lead after the first period before the Raiders rallied to go up 5-3 at the half on the strength of a pair of goals from Sarah Mesa and Emanuelle Dooreckmais. They eventually led 7-4 late in the third.

But the T-Breds, on the strength of three unanswered goals by Alejandra Aranguren rallied back to tie it at 7.

With 3:40 left, Grace Waibel broke an 8-8 tie with a goal that deflected off Alicia Kransner’s hand and into the net that turned out to be the game-winner.

Said Lefebvre: “A great match, Hialeah’s a great team and a worthy defending state champion. Even though they graduated some players last year, we knew they would come back strong again. They got us two years ago and got us in this game one year ago so this is what the girls have been focused on all year.”

BASEBALL

▪ Doral 2, Calvary Christian 1: WP - Adrian Figueroa CG, 1 ER, 7 K, 5 H, 2 BB, also hit game-winning RBI; Dominic Pitelli 3-3, 2B, R; Gaby Gutierrez 1-4, 2B, R, RBI; Sal Alvarez 1-1;

SOFTBALL

▪ Calvary Christian 12, Pine Crest 11.

BOYS’ WATER POLO

▪ Gulliver 17, Hialeah 6: Bruno Rebessi 7 goals, 3 assists, 4 steals; Rene Peralta 4 goals, 3 assists, 4 steals; JC Pompa 4 goals, 2 assists, 1 steal; Hayaat Kay-Ramos 2 goals, 2 assists, 2 steals; Kamal Kay-Ramos 6 blocks, 3 steals; GP: 28-1.

BOYS’ TENNIS

▪ Class 4A regional finals: St. Thomas Aquinas d. Cypress Bay 4-1; Palmetto d. Krop 5-0.

▪ Class 3A regional final: Doral d. TERRA 5-0.

▪ Class 2A regional final: Gulliver Prep d. Jackson

▪ Class 1A regional final: Ransom Everglades d. Miami Country Day 4-1.

GIRLS’ TENNIS

▪ Class 4A regional finals: Stoneman Douglas d. St. Thomas Aquinas 4-2; Krop d. Palmetto 4-3.

▪ Class 3A regional final: Doral d. Pembroke Pines Charter 5-0.

▪ Class 2A regional final: Coral Springs Charter d. Titusville 4-0; Gulliver Prep d. Pine Crest 4-2.

▪ Class 1A regional final: Carrollton d. Miami Country Day 5-0.

FLAG FOOTBALL DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS

▪ Krop 14, Hialeah 13: Anicia Collins 2 TD Passes; Kirra Magana 1 TD catch, 1 INT; Kamryn Walker 1 TD catch; Lindsey Weingsrd - XP and Int to end the game; Brianna Knowles 1 XPT.

▪ Booker T. Washington 26, Jackson 0: Anquinica Jones 2 TDs, Tamaya Leverson 2 TDs; Kearie Leonard and Unique Sitton had big defensive games.

This story was originally published April 27, 2019 at 12:29 AM.